“I'm not Santa Claus, that's for sure.”

“But ... Where am I?”

“Still in whatever place you were when you fell asleep. Took me a while, but I finally managed to call your dream self over here.”

Karon looked around himself once more and took in all the details of the surrounding landscape.

“We're in the forest you live in?”

“Close. I'm here, but you are merely dreaming. Your understanding of spatial dimensions are not advanced enough to get it, but for the moment let's just say that we are talking with each other without actually talking.”

Like he had done so many times before Karon just rubbed his face with his hands and held back a headache. It didn't matter how much he learned, Varsif could always drop the tiniest comment and suddenly everything he thought he knew was questioned.

“Fine whatever, why did you call me?”

“Why do you think? You managed to muck up so badly this time the powers themselves are displeased.”

Karon felt a chill travel down his spine and dread clutched his heart tightly. If there is one thing any creature should fear above all else, it is to anger the powers. Their power is ultimate and their judgement is final.

“What have they said?”

“They are upset that you managed to screw around with a very fundamental rule of theirs, but they are of course aware of the circumstances and told me. Really Erik? You listened to Loki?”

Varisf sighed deeply and shook his head, as a teacher does when a student refuses to understand something completely obvious.

“Did you for a second think he wouldn't screw you over? That his plan didn't have layers upon layers of scheming? I know I taught you far better than that, and even a blockhead like you should have known that it would end badly.”

“I didn't have much choice.”

“Yes you did. You could have come to me and asked for advice; you could have contacted a number of entities and explained the situation. Instead you threw yourself like a willing lamb to the slaughter into Loki's plan, and now you've upset the most powerful beings in existence.”

“Then why haven't they done anything?”

“Times lines are being analysed and consequences are taken into consideration, and then there's me. I hold some sway in the higher circles and managed to make a convincing case for you. Loki is the one being blamed for it really, and I have done my best to make sure you are considered a victim instead of a collaborator.”

“Well I ... Thank you ... I guess, but what does it mean?”

“Don't know yet. The powers will not stand for this, but they can't really punish Loki and punishing you wouldn't give the desired result, but one way or another, the results of Loki's scheming will be reversed, the decision how is ongoing.”

“But what does it mean for me?”

“Still not sure boy, but I have convinced them that tearing you out from existence, and leaving you to disperse in the void won't solve anything at least. That fate is never bestowed lightly on anything, because there are none worse, so I managed to steer it off, but at the moment, the possibilities are still being considered so I can't answer with certainty. But whatever will be done, will be done towards you that I am sure of. Loki broke no rules since you were his proxy, and that little unicorn they said you helped was only a helpless victim. That leaves you, and I just hope I can manage to make sure the punishment is made so it hurts Loki instead of you somehow.”

“Varsif ... I know I was not the best apprentice but ... I am grateful for your help.”

“Then repay me by listening close. You are in this mess because you continue to be too thick-headed to face your own short comings. You still think you can handle everything the world throws at you on your own. You are arrogant. The reason you left me is because you can't even handle yourself, and that is why you will never be allowed to achieve true power. You need to first achieve a wisdom that will elude you for as long as you keep this meaningless game up. If you ever wonder why your life continues to be a tragic one, just know it is because you still cling to the idea that it should be. Stop being such a self-obsessed moron and admit you need help to get over yourself. I would hate for you to end up as another cliché villain full of self-pity and hate. I have killed enough of those and need not know I helped create one.”

“Perhaps you're right.”

“Did you for once actually admit I am right and you were wrong?”

“I have changed from this ordeal Varisf, and I am still changing. I don't really know into what but I think it is ... as it should be.”

Varsif only huffed in return and looked up at the stars.

“Glad to know you're finally getting somewhere.”

“Me too.”

They stood there, both of them looking up at the stars in silence. Karon did not know why he could feel the winter cold seep into his bones despite that fact that he was sleeping, but the cold was refreshing. After all that warm spring air, it was nice to be bitten by the winter night's chill once more.

“You think I am up there somewhere, on a planet orbiting one of those stars?”

“You're not. You are in one dimension jump up. From what I could tell, you're in a parallel world that runs right next to this one. If you look around, you'll probably see a lot of things in common between them.”

“I had begun to suspect so. I know one unicorn that will be thrilled to get the explanation for what that means.”

“The thing you saved?”

“Her name is Twilight and she is no thing Varsif, and no, I was referring to another unicorn, one obsessed with humans despite us being no more than legends in this world. I think she managed to connect her dream self to Earth after she started obsessing about our kind.”

“She wouldn't be the first one jumping over to a close dimension while asleep. Many events that occur in one echoes out and is caught up in other places as thoughts, dreams and ideas. If something especially great or epic in scale happened where you're at, it would probably be picked up on by some humans here and there.”

Karon snorted. “Judging by what I have seen so far, that thought or idea would most likely have become a cartoon for children or something similar.”

Varsif laughed a little at the thought. “Now that would be truly ridiculous.”

“Agreed.”

They looked upon each other with a hint of sadness on both their faces. It had been three years since they last spoke, three years since Karon had shared a laugh or annoyed groan with the old man. He found himself missing it, he had left before he was meant to.

But he had needed it.

“I will contact you once more when a decision has been made, until then ... Stay out of trouble, if you can that is.”

“I will try.”

“Do or do not, there is no try,” Varsif said and released Karon's dream self from the clutches of his magic and allowed it to drift free.

                                   ***********************************

His head was pounding relentlessly with every beat his heart made. Long journeys outside the body always made it uncomfortable to return and once more clad oneself in heavy, slowly dying flesh constantly struggling to generate and preserve its life.

He really missed aspirin right now.

He began a deep breathing exercise to ease the ache and considered trying to go back to sleep, but after what must have been at least half an hour of breathing in and out, he realized he wouldn't be able to sleep for the rest of the night.

Karon opened his eyes and scanned the room, it was still very dark by Equestria standards. He turned his head and looked at the clock to his left on the bookcase, it said midnight had just passed by.

He carefully got out of bed and put on his clothes, trying to make as little sound as humanly possible. On the opposite side of the platform, Twilight's sleeping form was breathing gently. Karon could hear her perfectly despite the snoring emanating from Spike sleeping in his little basket.

Night time was always peaceful, and that held true especially here in Equestria. There were no real threats lurking in the dark, so the primal fear of what one could not see was needed. Such things were banished from the land of ponies. Such things did not belong here.

Did Karon really belong here?

“We are not predator by nature. If we hunt, we do it because we chose not because we are compelled to.”

“You're right, I think I might have turned into more of a drama queen than usual.”

“It's understandable after all we have been through, and we've begun taking things a bit too seriously I think.”

“You think we should do something reckless and irresponsible to cure that?”

“Exactly, any ideas?”

“How about we devote the rest of the night to going through survival plans for our trip into the Everfree, then spend some time with Twilight in the morning like she wanted to.”

“How is that reckless and irresponsible?”

“And after having satisfied all Twilight's need for companionship, we leave for the Everfree Forest and throw safety to the wind.”

“Hehehehe, satisfying all of Twilight's needs....”

“Not what I was thinking of.”

“Yes it was, I'm you so I would know.”

“Whatever, but I am unsure if it would be wise. The risk of dying is pretty steep as it is.”

“It's either that or remain here in Ponyville until Rarity decides she should talk with us about what happened.”

“I'll leave as soon as I'm done with Twilight.”

Karon sneaked down the ladder and out into the main library, carefully opening and closing the door without making a sound. It was dark, but the stairs were still visible enough not to present a problem. It would have been stupid if he'd tripped and woken everypony up with by falling down the stairs and breaking his neck.

When he reached the bottom floor, Karon stretched out his right hand with his palm up and let a flicker of energy produce a ball of white light. Heat and light were natural forms that energy took and were easy to produce. He normally did not like doing it because of the attention such things attracted in dark places.

But he doubted any hungry shadows were lurking in Twilight's library.

He let the light ascend through the air and hung high up towards the top of the hollowed out tree, spreading enough light to make everything clear as day.

“So, where do we begin?”

The rest of the night was devoted to finding ways he could survive within the boundaries of the Everfree Forest. He read up on edible plants and those that were poisonous, and also those that apparently ate stupid mammals like him.

There was plenty to learn, but he felt he had gathered enough to improve his chances by the time the sun was beginning to light up the horizon. It had taken a lot of energy to constantly feed the mage light hanging above him and it was with a sense of relief that he let it die as he cut the link to it.

He felt drained, both from the mental exhaustion of memorizing almost 200 different plants in just a few hours and keeping the mage light alive. His body might still ache terribly, but at the moment Karon was just too tired to notice, so he walked up the stairs with heavy legs and headed for his bed.

He climbed up the ladder and looked over at Twilight's bed. She had tossed off her blanket in her sleep and looked to be shivering a little from the cool morning temperature. Karon walked over and tucked the blanket firmly around her. In response Twilight merely wriggled about a little and made a pleased sound as warmth enveloped her once more.

All things considered, it would be difficult for any person to deny that she looked absolutely adorable lying there on the bed, her eyes closed and mouth slightly open.

Looking down at her Karon found himself wondering how it would feel if he crawled in next to her, how it would feel to cradle her in his arms as she slept.

“Bad idea. She's upset enough as it is about the thing with Rarity. If she wakes up with you next to her she will draw a very large number of unpleasant conclusions.”

“I know, but look at her.”

“I am, doesn't change the facts. Control yourself.”

“Fine, one thing though.”

Karon bent down over the bed and looked closely at Twilight's face, he studied the shape of her muzzle. The shape of her jawline, her mouth, the way her ears stood out and all else he could see.

He then leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss on her cheek before he walked over to his bed and took off his clothes. Twilight hadn't moved at all so he assumed she was still asleep. He felt a certain contentedness as he slipped in under his covers and relaxed.

Her skin ... coat...? Whatever it was felt just as warm and smooth to his lips as it had been under his hands. Though he was glad it hadn't woken Twilight up. Innocent or not that might have been difficult to explain.

But Karon's inner musings on the subject had made him fail to realize that after he had tucked her in Twilight's breathing pattern had changed, and her unmoving form after his gentle kiss had not been that of a sleeping person, but of somepony that held themselves frozen purposefully.

His eyelids closed shut and his mind quickly descended into sleep, pleased with himself.

                                                 ********************************

Twilight on the other hoof had trouble processing just what had happened. Had the kiss merely been that off a friend kissing someone good night or had it been ... more?

Thoughts shifted inside her confused mind and gave her no real answer. No matter how she put it, there was no obvious, discernible truth from his actions. Karon had been hard to read from the start, but lately it had gotten worse. One moment he seems polite and caring then that changes and he does something selfish without regard to how it affects others.

Twilight had at first believed it was simply how humans acted, that they were impulsive creatures, but from what she read inside Karon's mind, he did not fit the usual human profile. He was different and she could not decide if it was a good or bad thing.

Then again, there was so much he knew, so much he understood that she didn't. She had been inside his mind and seen all it contained, and she did not think her own inner library would be so grand despite having always been considered very intelligent by her tutors.

More than intelligent. She was princess Celestia's top student and personal protégée!

So how could this one human make her feel so ... insignificant? It was as if every time they spoke she could see a glint in his eyes telling her he was holding back, that he knew things he didn't think she would understand if he told her.

It upset her very much.

Sometimes perhaps it had taken her time to accept something, but she had always in the end learned her lesson and taken it to heart. She felt angry that Karon did not even give her the chance to try.

She wanted to know what he knew. She wanted to go back into that wonderful library and read every single book there was. All his knowledge and he didn't even try sharing it, and she needed to know all of it. She wanted to know his magic, she wanted to know his people, she wanted to know...

Him.

She facehoofed and suppressed a groan, what was she doing? He was not the kind of pony or person she should feel about in that way, he was just too different. He was arrogant and he did things without thinking about the ponies around him, but at the same time he seemed to be trying to do the right things.

Besides, he had kissed Rarity.

That made her even angrier. She didn't know what he was up to, but she did not like it at all. Maybe they were both drunk at the time but it still wouldn't have happened without a reason. After all, he hadn't kissed her ... or anypony else.

She would have to talk with Rarity again and ask if anything was going on.

Spike's snoring distracted her from her thoughts and she looked out the window and sighed. The sun was rising so she might as well get up. She wanted to have a little time for herself before Karon woke up again.

He had promised her he would spend time with her today, and there were plenty of questions she wanted to ask him. She could only hope that Karon would start opening up soon. She felt bad that he still looked sad despite reassuring her that he wasn't. He had saved her, she wanted to return the favour in some way.

She threw her blanket off and got out of bed. It might be early but that only meant she had time to properly construct a schedule for the day. She also wanted to make a list of topics for the conversation with Karon, that way she could be sure she would get some answers.

She walked over to the basket where Spike slept, still snoring loudly. One day he would grow up to become an adult dragon and his snoring would bring with it clouds of smoke, but not now. He was still just a baby and he would remain so for a very long time if something didn't speed up his growth.

She smiled as she looked down on him. He had grown fast the first few years, but after he had reached the first stage of the dragon's maturation process, he had suddenly stopped and remained that way. He would remain like this, a baby, until he had passed his first century. Then he would grow again until he reached the second stage, and so it would go on until finally at the age of a thousand years he would become an adult.

It made her sad thinking Spike would have to live on without her. That one day, she would be old and frail. And before she closed her eyes for the last time Spike would be next to her, just as little as he was now.

She shook her head to get rid of the unpleasant thought and poked Spike to wake him up. His only response was to snore louder and curl himself. He had put his tail in his mouth and was gently sucking on it.

Twilight decided to leave him alone and take care of herself. She didn't have the heart to wake him up when he looked so happy lying there.

She walked over to the ladder and climbed down. She never could understand why somepony hadn't made a staircase instead. Walking silently is hard with hoofs but she tried her best. She wanted neither of the sleeping males to wake up from the noise she made.

Twilight walked down into the library and went over to her writing desk. Her horn glowed as a parchment and quill levitated in front of her. The quill moved with practised precision as it began writing the list of things she wanted to ask of Karon, well ... all but the one question she truly wanted to ask him.

                                     **********************************

Karon opened his eyes and stretched out his arms. His back cracked a little as it arched itself, but it felt good. He felt well rested despite the few hours of sleep he got, most likely owed to that hidden smug satisfaction that he got to kiss Twilight. Sure it was just on the cheek, but it was the playful nature of the deed that gave him this great feeling of vitality.

He was beginning to really grow into the trickster role, to let his nature as such guide him instead of reason or intuition. It might sound reckless, and it was, but it was also right. It was playfulness and the joy of the complicated games of power that were the driving force behind those like him. This feeling of satisfaction and boundless energy was merely him doing what he was supposed to.

Sure it was baby steps and all, but it was better than nothing.

He saw that both Twilight and Spike had woken up while he was sleeping, and were probably downstairs doing whatever they usually did in the morning. Eating hay or whatever.

“Which reminds me, what are we supposed to hunt with inside the forest?”

“I can make a spear or some other kind of improvised weaponry. I don't really need it since I can put any of the animals in trance as long as they don't spot me.”

“And then what? Beat them over the head with a rock?”

“I will try and avoid making a mess. How about we try and kill it with just magic.”

“That will demand your full attention and could become dangerous depending on the situation.”

“I'll make a big stick I can crack necks with if need be. It will have to do.”

“Let's hope so. Personally, I think we should consider the big-rock-to-head strategy. You can't go wrong with that. Doesn't matter how tough the bastard is, if it's head goes splat, it's down for good.”

He got out of bed and put on his clothes. He really wanted to see if Rarity had finished his hat. If it started to rain, a hat would be invaluable ... But it wasn't worth having to see her again so soon to get it.

He jumped down from the platform and walked out into the main library. Twilight stood at her writing desk going over some sheets of paper levitated in the air before her. Karon walked down the stairs and she turned around at the sound of his footsteps.

“Crap she knows.”

“Knows what?”

“That little peck on the cheek, she knows.”

“What! How do you know that she knows?”

“I know and you know because we can read people ... and ponies. You can feel it, she knows.”

“Damn it! Do you know if she knows that we know?”

“I don't know if you know, but I know that she knows that we know that she knows if she knows how to read people. We are basically staring at her in shock right now you know.”

“What?...I?.....You?...fuck!”

“Uhh, morning Twilight. Slept well?”

“Yeah, I had a terrific sleep. So I was wondering, do you have time for that talk you promised me last night?”

“Yes I was planning on doing that early anyway.”

“Oh ok, I gave Spike the morning off, so he's probably over at Rarity's right now. I thought it would give us some privacy.”

“So the little dragon with a crush on the unicorn we were very close to getting intimate with last night is talking with her right now....”

“Keep cool, I doubt she would mention anything of it to Spike.”

“He's in love with her. I doubt there is a single detail about her that escapes him. He will know something is wrong.”

“And she will tell him nothing. She knows how he feels and how much it would hurt him.”

“Why does it feel like I involuntarily make all these ponies become more corrupt and deceiving.”

“That's only in your head. They were like this before we got here, you just happen to be a very suitable scapegoat.”

“Let's hope then that they don't try and give me all their sins before ritually sacrificing me.”

“Is there ... something you wish to discuss in private with me Twilight?”

She blushed a little, but did not look away. “No, I just thought that you might open up a little bit if we are alone. I know you well enough to recognize the fact that there is alot that you don't want to tell me. I want to know why!”

Her voice had climbed as she spoke and the last part was almost shouted in an irritated voice, hut he knew why, she was like him. They were both the kind of people blessed with a thirst for knowledge and they couldn't let a source of it remain untouched. To deny Twilight the chance at learning something new was like denying a thirsting man in the desert water. She would eventually go crazy.

“Because I don't think you are ready for it.”

Oh she was really angry now. What he had just said to her was more or less the ultimate insult in her eyes.

“And what makes you think that?” she asked in a dangerously low voice, even Karon felt a little nervous from it. Colourful little pony or not he shouldn't underestimate Twilight.

“Let me explain it properly,” he said and put his hands behind his back and started pacing around the library floor. Deciding exactly how much he should tell her, too much too fast could ruin her.

In magic, Twilight was like a farmer who through great skill and experience had learned how to nourish and grow almost any food. She had learned the how the soil interacted with weather and the cycle of nature through interaction and hard work.

Karon on the other hand was someone with greater understanding of geology, meteorology, biology, chemistry and so forth. He could see the greater cycles. Twilight was a practical knower of the how, but Karon also had the greater understanding of the why.

And once you understand the why behind anything, it changes your perception of it, and if you know the why behind the universe ... then that changes everything.

“Twilight ... I know that you are not ready because you are still young. Not just in the sense of age but in the maturity of your mind and soul. You still want to be happy, you still want the joyful life of an innocent and good little unicorn.”

“Well ... Of course I want that. What kind of pony wouldn't?”

“That's what I mean, what pony wouldn't? But it doesn't work like that ... let me give you an example.”

Karon stopped pacing and looked over at the unicorn, she looked annoyed at what he'd said. She didn't get it yet, but she would.

“Have you ever seen Celestia or Luna happy?”

“Of course I have.”

“No you haven't.” Karon sighed and considered what to say for a moment before continuing.

“You have seen them at peace, in harmony with their surroundings, but never have they been truly happy, not for a very long time at least, and never again shall they be.”

She looked to be about to protest so he held up his hand to silence her.

“Let me finish. Neither of your princesses will feel true happiness again because it requires ignorance. Because true happiness is a state of utter completion and lack of conflict within themselves, and such a state is denied to all who have passed beyond the carefree days of youth.”

She looked at him carefully now, at least he had managed to get her attention.

“Knowledge and power. Neither comes before the other. They support one another and together they grow in unison, but the more you know, and the more power you gain, the less of yourself you become. Well, that's not true actually, you become more, but what I mean is that you become less and less your own. As you grow, you must choose where you belong in the universe. To what power you hold loyalty and servitude. Because make no mistake, you do not reach the upper stages of development all by yourself. No one is allowed to roam free at their own pleasure and whim there. There is no true happiness because the more you grow, the more you take within yourself, and the greater the friction within you becomes.”

She looked at him enraptured. Before her Karon was now putting pieces of a very grand puzzle into full view. It was not even close to all the pieces, but it was more than she had thought.

“Your princesses are no different. I have an idea to where they owe their allegiance, but that is not for me to openly say. But one must always choose a role. The sage, the mage, the protector, the guardian, the ruler, the wizard, the messenger...

“The trickster.”

“...and so forth. And this is where the worst of the burden comes in. If you want to understand the universe, then you must open up to it and allow it to fill you, allow ALL of it to take shape within you. Not just the light and happy parts. If you wish to understand the life, then you must know death. To know joy, you must know suffering and so on. That is why we cannot be happy, because we have as much suffering as joy within us. If these forces are balanced we feel harmony and can be at peace with ourselves and that around us. If not, we become the monsters from the nightmares you are too afraid to even remember.”

The unicorn looked to be struggling with herself. There was so much she wanted to ask, but she knew he would only answer a few questions before shutting the doors to his knowledge again.

“How do you know all this? What if it's wrong?”

“I know this because it is the reason I couldn't finish my training. I am not at peace with myself, and those that are not cannot be allowed to wield that much power and influence. The struggle and disharmony within them will spread and cause pain and suffering for all those around them. I know this because it is the knowledge that has been dangled before me, the knowledge used to try and goad me into giving in and ... facing things I can't face.”

“What is it you are so afraid of?” She put her hoof in the air as if to add something but put it down again, she was obviously considering asking something.

And she did, with a careful tender voice. As if she were afraid that speaking to harshly would scare him away.

“Does it ... does it have anything to do with that ... black door inside your mind?”

Karon's eyes instantly turned from a light ember glow to a burning orange inferno that could have rivalled the flames of hell.  

“I told you to stay away from that part! I told you you were forbidden to go up there!”

Twilight shrank back in fear of Karon for the first time. She knew he was dangerous, but before her stood something she could hardly recognize. It looked like Karon, but the aura of pure hatred that surrounded him was nothing like his usual self.

“I d-didn't. I was just sitting there reading ... and ... I ... I smelled something burning, and I ... I was worried something might catch on fire. I don't know how it works inside a mind so I ... I looked around and I couldn't find anything, but then ... I smelled it coming from the top floor and I know you said I wasn't allowed up there, but I was so worried, so I just went upstairs and looked through those big gates you had put up and....”

She looked terrified as she spoke. Karon had not moved at all but he didn't need to. Anger was rolling out from him in almost visible waves, so strong no pony around could not feel them.

“And then I saw ... I saw a black door ... at the end of an empty hallway and ... there was smoke coming out from it ... and it smelled like something was burning ... and ... I think I could ... hear somepony...screaming.”

Twilight was on the verge of tears. She had not wanted to see it. She had just been worried something might happen to all those books, all that knowledge.

“And there were ... chains on the door, big chains, so I thought it would be safe. That they would keep whatever was inside from coming out ... I'm so sorry.”

Karon barely heard the last part, it was spoken so quietly. He felt anger fuel himself and he wanted to hurt Twilight, wanted to make her suffer for daring to go up there. For seeing what he had spent years burying and forgetting. He had buried that thing so deeply he couldn't even access the memory anymore, but he knew it was there, always in the back of his mind constantly reminding him that he could forget ... but he could never change what had happened.  

It was a pointless anger. Twilight had never meant any harm, and all the pain and anger he was feeling did not rightfully belong to her. It was his own doing and he should not let others suffer for his weaknesses.

“Twilight...”

“Y-yes?”

“I will forgive you, but only if you swear to never again mention what you have seen. EVER!”

She flinched as he shouted the last part, but she nodded.

“I promise.”

Karon felt a twinge of guilt disperse the anger as he looked down on the unicorn, she looked devastated. Tears were pouring out of her eyes and her face was scrounged up as if she was in deep pain.

Karon swallowed and forced himself to walk to her. She let out a fearful squeak when he fell down and pulled her into a hug. It wasn't a gentle one and it probably hurt her a little, but he needed to hold her, to feel her emotions so he could let his own calm down.

He felt her fear, but most of all she felt sadness. She felt sad because she knew she had done something to hurt him. It wasn't on purpose, but that didn't matter to Twilight. She had some other strange emotions he couldn't really place, and he just chalked it up to the fact she was a pony.

But the important thing was that he could feel her heart was without any malice or desire to hurt him. She had just wanted to protect his mind. The idea that it could burn down was ridiculous and stupid, but he couldn't blame her, it wouldn't be right.

His mind was calming down in unison with his hearth and he held the unicorn pressed close. He felt her fear abate and give room only to the guilt and the desire to comfort him, and it did. Feeling her unclouded desire to ease his pain, to make good on what she had caused him was enough for him.

“I'm sorry I got so angry Twilight, but you don't understand what you did, and I don't want you to. Leave it alone and never speak of it again and we will be fine.”

She nodded her head against his shoulder, despite the thick fabric of his robe he felt how it had gotten wet from tears. He rubbed the top of her head and stroked her mane, she allowed him to continue for a few minutes before stepping back. She had regained some of her usual look of scholarly detachment and sarcastic demeanour, but there were still traces of her guilt visible in her eyes.

“Those eyes...”

“Well, I hope we are done with that area of questioning.”

She laughed a nervous laugh in response and her face showed great relief as Karon had allowed her mistake to slide.

“Well I did have a few more questions ... If you don't mind.”

“I demand one thing in return first.”

“What?” she asked looking a little worried again.

“She won't be expecting this.”

He went down on both knees and put both his hands around Twilight's face and pulled her close. She looked surprised at what he did, and after he leaned in and gave her a very loud kiss on the cheek she looked absolutely shocked.

“What! Why did you do that?”

He let her go and rose to his feet before cackling with glee at the little unicorns indignant face.

“Because if I had done it under normal circumstances you would have slapped me with one of those hoofs, and I don't think that would be pleasant.”

She threw her head backwards and let out a loud annoyed sound before turning back to looking at Karon with a disapproving glare.

“Is there ever a time where you can be serious for five minutes?”

“Perhaps, but I must have lost those somewhere.”

“That doesn't make any sense at all!”

“Of course it does, but no matter, no matter. Are you going to ask some more questions of me or are you done?”

She rolled her eyes, but her horn glowed as the parchment where she had written down her questions floated up from her desk and came to hang suspended before her. She followed it down a bit with her gaze before she began throwing a lot of questions at him in quick succession.

They spent perhaps an additional hour or two discussing more general topics of magic. After the emotional moment earlier, Karon was feeling a need to make peace so he answered more than he had first intended. He explained the basic functioning and workings of the mind and how one could use magic to affect it.

Almost all of Twilight's magic was based around spells. Karon's was built upon psychic skills and abilities as much as it was on structured spells and rituals. She had a hard time accepting that one could use magic without any of the guidelines offered by a spell.

In magic, Twilight appeared to be a nitpicker. Unless she could organize and put it within a template, she felt uneasy with it, but she also had the hunger to learn, so she would eventually get over it Karon reasoned.

Twilight was writing down everything he told her. No doubt she would go over it carefully multiple times after he left.

“That reminds me.”

“Twilight I almost forgot to tell you. I will be making my journey into the Everfree Forest a little earlier than first planned.”

“If you really think it's a good idea I guess I can't stop you. When are you planning on leaving?”

“After we're done talking and I've packed a bit of dried fruit for provisions.”

She looked surprised first, but then her face turned sceptical as she peered at him closely.

“Why? Have you done something you're trying to run away from?”

“Okay, she is starting to get a bit too perceptive. She must under no circumstances master telepathy.”

“I don't plan on giving her lessons.”

“If you thought it would get you into her pants you would.”

“She doesn't even wear pants...”

“See. Halfway there already.”

“Just be quiet.”

“No I'm not, I just don't see the point of postponing it more than I need to.”

“If you say so,” she answered, her face showing she was far from convinced.

“Yeah so ... Do you have any dried fruit stashed somewhere?”

She looked at him with maintained scepticism before she got up and went to the kitchen, motioning him to follow her with her hoof.

He stood at the counter as her horn glowed and a cupboard opened, inside was a sack that came floating out. Twilight turned around and put it down on the counter next to Karon, he opened it and looked inside. It was filled with dried apples, most likely from the Apple family farm.

“Is it okay for me to take these Twilight?”

She just waved her hoof in front of her and said. “It's no problem, I just keep them around in case we would run out of food for some reason. I needed to replace that soon anyway.”

Karon nodded and knotted the rope tightly, leaving enough lose to form a noose he could carry it around from. He inserted his arm and slung it over his shoulder, uncomfortable but functional. It would do.

“Well ... I wasn't planning on making any elaborate goodbyes. I will most likely only be gone for a few days. Would you mind telling Applejack where I am if she stops by. I still owe her for that booze she provided and hopefully I will find some plants I could work with to repay that debt.”

“How exactly would you do that?”

“Helping her expand and improve her business.”

“Uhuh.”

“Twilight, if you keep giving me that disapproving frown you're going to start getting wrinkles.”

“How weird, saying that didn't make it go away.”

“Oh you are just full of keen observations today aren't you.”

“Aren't you?”

“What?”

“Exactly.”

“Anyway, I will get going. So ... I'll see you in a few days.”

Her glare disappeared and she looked at him hesitantly.

“Wait! How am I supposed to know if something has happened to you?”

“If something does, I will contact you. If I don't then I'm either alright or dead. In either case you shouldn't go inside looking for me. Only come if I call you, okay?”

“Fine, but I still think it's a bad idea.”

“Duly noted. Well then, Twilight ... see ya.”

Before she could say anything else, he headed out into the main library and walked out the front door. It was childish, but he didn't want any of the ponies to catch him and ask what he was doing, and he was in luck, only a few ponies saw him as he walked through the little hamlet and he knew none of them.

There were several clouds above him, and had he been on Earth, he would have been worried about the weather, but this was Equestria, and the weather here and that inside the forest were separate and had no effect on each other.

He took the same route he had taken the first time he had come across the Everfree Forest, straight west. He could have walked south first and taken the route leading to that road he had found, but he did not think that the mysteries of the Everfree was accessible by road. No, they would be deep within the forest, somewhere close to its heart probably.

Which made this endeavour very difficult. The maps he had seen hadn't been that specific, but one thing that was certain was that the forest was big, really big, and with that perpetual gloom surrounding it, he wouldn't be able to make out any stars for navigation.

He could still try and get a feel for the magnetic fields surrounding the planet, They should travel from south to north, but he was not used to them in this world, and he could easily be mistaken.

This meant he would be relying entirely on his connection to the forest to keep him safe, and when he started hunting for meat, that could go wrong. Either the forest would relish his decision to participate in the everlasting game of the hunt ... Or it would take his use of the connection as an unfair advantage and leave him vulnerable.

There was no real way of knowing which it would be.

Karon did not pay any attention to the grassy hills or trees he passed by, and it was not until he had reached that invisible border between Equestria and the Everfree Forest that he chose to leave thinking and planning behind.

As soon as he crossed that boundary it would be time for action.

And all he would bring with him was the clothes he was wearing, a sack of dried apples and his magic. Ordinarily, he would have brought a knife and a tinderbox with him, but he had a feeling that asking for any of those from Twilight would have been the height of stupidity.

So he would go in as he was.

He looked at the forest and took in all it's dark majestic beauty. The mist clinging to all the open space it could find, the trees with their massive trunks and roots. The way the crowns on some trees swayed lightly beneath a wind that would never cross over into Equestria.

For some weird reason he found the sight welcoming.

So without any further delays he made sure the sack of apples was still tightly sealed and walked over to the forest. As soon as he walked in beneath the shadows of the trees and the mist touched his skin he felt the connection to the forest return, and it felt that he had come back.

There was no emotion behind it, merely an acknowledgement of right. Like a guard who silently opens a door to a well known VIP without him ever needing to say anything. But Karon was no VIP, he had merely gained a pass, and that could be taken away at any moment.

He walked underneath the dark and foreboding trees, silently travelling through the constant shadow that surrounded the forest. The mist was not unpleasantly moist or cold but pleasantly chill. Like the light caressing of a ghost's hand, and maybe that was what the mist was. The lingering spirits of all that which had died within the borders of the ancient seat of power. Those spirits who had not yet had the chance to be reborn.

Karon felt humbled. To walk within the Everfree Forest was like walking through a place where time gathered in force. A place where the present, past and future came together. It was a nexus of energy, and Karon began to understand as he walked by trees that had lived for centuries untold. This was a place of trial and testing, this was a place where the most primal and powerful forces rested, waiting for creatures like him to be called.

Maybe he hadn't come here by choice after all, maybe something had called him.

Twilight had told him of the times she had been in here, and it struck him then. He could walk within this place for the rest of his life and still never find that which he desired, it was the forest that decided that.

And it's lessons were simple, like all primal lessons are.

Either you adapted to it's demands and learned what you needed to, or you died.

It did not care either way, it's purpose was to house mysteries and trials unlimited. It was the seekers that came here that needed to take care of the rest.

He stretched out his senses into the forests mind and asked it if he was right in his insight. It didn't give a response in an ordinary sense, there was no active message of the truthfulness of his statement. But there was no denying it either, it accepted his understanding without resistance. Which meant that it was true in some way, maybe it wasn't the entire truth. But at least he wasn't wrong.

“But where does that leave us?”

“Well I guess it means we can't just stroll around and look under every rock we find. The forest will lead us to whatever it will allow us to find when it wants to.”

“So what should we do in the mean time?”

“Still craving some meat?”

                               **********************************************

THREE DAYS! It had been three whole days since Karon had left Twilight with that awful attempt at a goodbye. Since then Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had stopped by and asked about him. All of them had wanted to go in after him after hearing about where he was, but Twilight had managed to dissuade them.

Fluttershy had been scared, Pinkie Pie had been worried and Applejack had been angry. She had been convinced he was trying to get away from repaying his debt. And if Karon hadn't told Twilight to inform Applejack that he was gathering ingredients for whatever he was going to do, she would have ran in after him immediately.

Twilight had been busy during those three days though. The information Karon had given her on his kind of magic was very exciting, but what he had said about what eventually happened to everyone that sought knowledge had left her feeling uneasy about it all.

She wanted to send a message to princess Celestia asking her if it was true, after all, he had said she was no different from him in that regard, but she was afraid. What is she returned the message and told her it was true? What if princess Celestia told her that no matter what she did she would never again be happy if she continued to learn and study.

What would she do?

She couldn't just give up her advanced studies, they meant so much to her. But if they meant she could never be happy ... it didn't make sense. She was happy, here in Ponyville. With her friends and studies and everything they did together.

And after three days of investigating her books in search of a truth she was unsure if she wanted to know, she had had enough. She had learned the hard way that true magic was not something one could find in just books, which is why it was time to go out and spend time together with her friends.

And perhaps put another questions burning in her mind to rest.

She was going to talk to Rarity.

“Spike! I am going to go and visit Rarity. Could you reshelve all the books I've been reading these last days?”

The little dragon came out from inside her bedroom and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He had obviously decided to take another nap.

“Oh sure, Twilight. Hey could you say hello to Rarity for me? I haven't seen her in days now.”

“I know, me too. That's why I'm going to see her. I will be back in a couple of hours, could you make sure everything is cleaned up by then?”

“Sure thing Twilight. I'll get right on it.”

The little dragon made his way over to her table and began piling books on top of each other. Twilight was satisfied everything would be taken care of in her absence and walked out into bright spring day and started her walk toward Rarity's boutique.

She hoped that she wouldn't be too busy with her dressmaking to maybe have lunch with her friend. If she was, it would be a lot harder to ask her if there was something going on between her and Karon.

It had been strange that she hadn't visited the library in the three days since he left. She had always acted like she was enjoying the kind of gentlecoltly way Karon treated her. Twilight knew he was just playing it, but didn't want to ruin something Rarity looked to be enjoying so much.

Especially after that fiasco at the gala.

Twilight passed by ponies buying apples from Applejack's cart and gave her a wave in passing when she saw she was how busy she was. Despite being swamped by several ponies in a line looking to buy her apples, she said something to Applebloom standing beside her before trotting over to Twilight.

“Hi there Twilight, watcha out doing? Ah thought ya were busy with yer books.”

“Hehe, I guess I have been a bit distracted lately. I'm sorry I haven't come to see you girls in a while, it's just that Karon said some pretty ... interesting things before he left that I needed to research.”

At the mention of Karon's name Applejack's face became a little darker and her tone turned serious.

“Now Twilight, Ah don't mean to tell ya your business, but there's just something about him that rubs me the wrong way. Ah don't think it's terribly smart of ya to trust him like ya do is all.”

“Well Applejack, I know it's hard to get used to him. He's not like other ponies, but he still saved me when he didn't have to, and he is stuck here because I didn't research the spell I used carefully enough.”

“Ah know that, but ah don't think that's reason ta just let him do whatever he wants.”

“Applejack, Princess Celestia herself said that Karon could stay and was to be treated like any other regular pony. Do you think she would have done that if she thought he might become a danger to us?”

“Ah can't argue with that, but ah know he's hiding something. Ah'n whatever it is it ain't pretty.”

For a brief moment Twilight had a flashback of a black door surrounding by heavy chains. The smell of burning wood thick in the air and smoke seeping out between the cracks.

She shuddered. “I know Applejack, but we can't force him to tell us everything. He's still only been here for a week. We have to be patient and show him that there is nothing you can't share with your friends.”

“Ah guess yer right. Ah just can't shake the feeling something bad is gonna happen 'cause of him.”

“Well, we just have to make sure that doesn't come true then.”

“Yeah, Ah guess yer right. Where're you heading anyway?”

“I'm going over to Rarity's. I haven't seen her in a while and thought I'd stop by and say hello.”

“Alrighty then. Say hello to her from me.”

She walked back to her cart and tried to calm down some of the customers who were less than happy with the service provided by Applebloom. Twilight smiled at the scene before resuming her walk towards Rarity's boutique and began wondered how Karon was doing inside the forest.

                                           ********************************

Karon was running for his dear life.

He still had the connection to the forest, and without it he would have been dead already. Unfortunately, the protection offered by it had been lifted the second he had taken upon himself the mantel of predator.

Apparently the Everfree forest did not like to play favourites.

But the connection allowed him to feel the forest around him, every root, every hole and every tree. His feet automatically found their way through the uneven terrain without slowing him down for one second.

The giant timber wolves behind him did not have that advantage. They might have lived their entire lives within the forest, but even they had to spend a lot of focus making sure they did not trip and break something.

So both predator and prey had managed to stay at an even pace. It had been a definite mistake to try and steal a kill from the timber wolf pack, but he had been desperate.

There were few herbivorous animals within the forest, mostly it was a game of hunting the smaller predator while avoiding the bigger ones. So when the wolves had managed to bring down a large heavy plated rhinoceros looking creature, Karon had tried to steal some of it's meat.

How could he have known the wolves had left a hidden pack member to guard it?

Worst of all was that he had dropped his half full sack of dried apples while running, so now he wasn't only at risk of becoming food, he had also lost all of his own.

He ran like a madman dodging low hanging branches and jumping over small pits leading down into whatever dark abysses the forest covered. He could feel the forest stretching far in front of him, which was the reason he was completely shocked when he suddenly had to stop as a large mountain rose up before him.

“How the hell did we miss this!”

“Ignore that. Just fucking run idiot!”

Karon took off towards his left but one of the timber wolves jumped out from behind a tree and blocked his path with a vicious snarl.

For a moment, Karon stood paralysed with fear at the sight of the huge fangs, saliva dripping from the hungry jaws, waiting for the right moment to plunge and tear him apart.

With a whimper Karon turned around and ran in the opposite direction, the mountain at his left and the forest at his right. Behind him the wolves were howling as if calling an ancient hunting horn, telling all who listened that the prey was close.

Feeling his panic rising to new levels, where all he experienced was pure animal instinct, Karon ran faster than his body rightfully should be able to. The snapping jaws of the enraged pack of wolves closing in behind him while the passive forest only watched the chase take place.

His heart almost gave out in fear as another timber wolf jumped out before him.

He was trapped.

Eyes so wide it hurt Karon felt tears forming in his eyes. It couldn't end like this. It was ridiculous. Eaten by a pack of wolves, Varsif would laugh himself stupid when he got the news.

Not daring to take his eyes of either wolf for a second, Karon backed up against the steep mountain side. He expected his back to press up against hard cold rock any moment. But it didn't, instead he went into it.

At first he didn't register what had happened, but then he looked at the corner of his vision. Still making sure both wolves were in plain sight.

He was backing into a cave, but it had been so dark he had thought it was just another part of the almost blackened mountain. He backed further into the cave with small careful steps. He didn't dare to turn his back to the wolves and run. If he did they would surely run in after him.

But they didn't approach the cave opening, they just stood outside and growled at him angrily. They were soon joined by the rest of the pack, in the centre stood a huge specimen of their kind. A true monster.

The alpha looked Karon straight in the eyes and gave off a loud howl, sending vibrations coursing into Karon's body. He knew what it meant, the alpha had just given him a message.

Either go in or come out.

Karon stood undecided for a moment, but the sight of an entire pack of hungry hateful yellow eyes can work as effective motivation for most things. So summoning all his courage Karon turned his back on the wolves waiting outside and walked blindly into the gigantic cave.

If he had listened closely he would have heard the alpha give off a malicious barking laughter before turning around and leading his pack back to their feast.

Inside of the cave Karon had tried all his techniques to calm down. It had been enough to make some of his rational mind return and with all of his effort he had managed to summon a mage light to illuminate his path.

The cave was truly enormous, the ceiling so high above the light could not reach it, but he could see that before him the cave curved to the right. As he walked closer to the turn, he was beginning to notice that there was a glow coming from something beyond it.

Carefully, Karon sneaked as best he could while his entire body was still shaking from adrenaline and pressed himself against the cave wall beside the turn. He took a few deep breaths as quietly as he could before slowly peeking behind the corner at whatever was producing the glow.

The sight before him turned his legs watery and he felt a certain detached knowledge that now he was truly doomed. Because within the large cavern was a gigantic pile of treasure, gleaming gemstones and rich metals of all kinds shone in the dark of the cavern.

And on top of it was the sleeping form of a huge red dragon. Next Chapter: Chapter 13: Crime against fashion Estimated time remaining: 22 Hours, 5 Minutes